A 79-year-old woman, Gaie Delap, who participated in a green protest by climbing gantries over the M25 to raise awareness about climate change, is taking legal action against the government, alleging false imprisonment. Delap, a Just Stop Oil activist from Bristol, was initially sentenced to 20 months in prison for her involvement in the protest. Despite being released to serve the remainder of her sentence at home, she was returned to prison because the prison contractor, Serco, could not provide a suitable wrist tag for monitoring her whereabouts, as she could not wear an ankle monitor due to a medical condition.
Delap, a retired teacher, is being represented by the Good Law Project and expressed her disappointment with the justice system, stating, “When a state chooses to incarcerate a grandmother instead of addressing the issues we are protesting against, it signifies a failure in the justice system.”
The Ministry of Justice acknowledged the challenges within the prison system for women, stating, “The prisons inherited by this government are not adequately serving the majority of women. To address this, the Lord Chancellor has established a new Women’s Justice Board aimed at reducing the number of women in prison and providing better support for those who require imprisonment.”
This legal action highlights the ongoing debate surrounding environmental activism and the treatment of individuals involved in protests for climate change awareness.